It pays to research ideas thoroughly and experiment in different environments before extrapolating social welfare schemes to a widespread audience
An alumni of the University of Calcutta and Jawaharlal Nehru University, he received his Ph.D from Harvard in 1988. He is currently the Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics at MIT. He is co-founder of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL).
(This story appears in the 04 June, 2010 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)